What is the first dish that comes in your mind when someone says paneer? Is that dish paneer butter masala? If so, then you are reading the right page.
On following this method, you will get creamy and buttery paneer butter masala. Have you ever thought how the restaurant prepares delicious paneer butter masala? No worries, here is a recipe to prepare restaurant style paneer butter masala at home.
Ingredients you will need
The final paneer butter masala you get will surely give you restaurant style flavor. Follow every step mentioned. Make sure you have all the ingredients and ensure you don’t miss any step.
Ingredients
- Paneer
- Paneer masala
- Salt
- Garam masala
- Green chilly
- Red chilly powder
- Bay leaves
- Tomato
- Cashew Nut
- Crushed Fenugreek leaves
- Coriander leaves
- Fresh cream
- Sugar
Steps to prepare Paneer butter masala
Prepare cashew nut paste
Step 1:
Get 18-20 pieces of cashews. Make sure you don’t use fried or masala cashew. Using organic cashew will enhance the taste of paneer butter masala.
Step 2:
Soak the cashews in half a cup of water for 20 to 30 minutes.
Step 3:
Drain the water and get ready to blend it.
Step 4
Get blender to make cashew nut paste.
Step 5
Add 3-4 tablespoons of water to the cashew nut to blend it.
Step 6
Transfer the cashew nut paste in the small bowl.
Note:
Cashew nut paste is an important ingredient while preparing paneer butter masala. It gives sweeter and creamer taste. In general, paneer butter masala recipe only has a cream in it to make creamier but using cashew nut paste enhances the taste.
Prepare tomato puree
Step 1
Take 4-5 medium size tomatoes and wash them gently.
Step 2
Roughly chopped the tomatoes. While chopping you don’t have to be concerned about the size.
Step 3
Blend the chopped tomatoes in the blender.
Step 4
Pour the tomato puree in the bowl.
Note:
If you are not sure about the size of the tomatoes, then you may use a cup to measure the quantity of tomatoes. To make tomato puree, you will need 2 cups of chopped tomatoes. And you can use the same blender that you used to blend cashew. Don’t wash the blender. Blend the chopped tomatoes with the remaining cashew nut paste so that nothing goes waste.
Prepare Gravy
Step 1
Heat the pan for few seconds, then add three tablespoons of butter.
Step 2
After butter melts, add one bay leaves. Fry it for few seconds.
Step 3
Add crushed ginger-garlic to the pan. Or you can also use one tablespoon ginger garlic paste.
Step 4
Fry the ginger garlic for few seconds until the aroma disappears.
Step 5
Carefully add tomato puree as it may splutter.
Step 6
Mix the tomato puree with butter.
Step 7
Keep stirring the tomato puree. Better to stir the tomato puree at intervals.
Step 8
Tomato puree will start to simmer. Let it simmer for at least 5 to 6 minutes.
Step 9
Add half tablespoon chilly powder. You can add chilly powder according to your taste.
Step 10
Continue to stir and saute tomato puree until the butter starts leaving the sides of the pan, and the tomato puree mixture comes as a whole.
Step 11
Add cashew nut paste you prepared.
Step 12
Keep stirring the mixture after you add cashew nut paste. You need to stir the mixture till 4 minutes for your gravy to get ready.
Step 13
Add one and a half cups of water. Stir and boil the mixture for a minute or two minutes.
Note:
Do this entire gravy making process in medium-low flame to prevent the butter from burning and tomato puree from spluttering. If tomato puree is spluttering too much, cover the pan with lid. But you need to stir the mixture at intervals even if you cover with a lid. This process will take around 15 to 18 minutes, depending upon the heat of the flame and thickness of the pan.
Making paneer butter masala
Step 14
Keep stirring the tomato cashew mixture. If you see lumps in the mixture break it with the spoon.
Step 15
Add ginger julienne to the mixture. After adding ginger julienne, you will notice that curry is getting thicker.
Step 16
After 3 to 4 minutes, add two or three slits of green chilies. You can use chilly according to the taste.
Step 17
Add salt according to the taste. And add half a spoon of sugar to the curry. Sugar is an optional ingredient, so you can skip it.
Step 18
Let the curry boil for one minute.
Step 19
Add paneer cubes to the curry. Make sure that cubes are almost similar to each other because you need to cook it for few seconds.
Step 20
Be gentle while mixing paneer cubes with the mixture.
Step 21
Add one tablespoon crushed fenugreek leaves, one tablespoon Century paneer masala, and half tablespoon garam masala.
Step 22
Add two to three spoons of fresh cream and stir the mixture gently.
Step 23
Sprinkle the paneer butter masala with chopped coriander leaves.
Note:
Ginger julienne is very thinly lengthwise sliced ginger. You need a thinly slice row of the ginger to make julienne. Though cream is used while preparing paneer butter masala, you can use sugar if your cream is not very sweet.
Ready to serve
Paneer butter masala is perfect for dinner. If you want to celebrate with your family staying at home, this paneer butter masala recipe will never let you down. You can serve this with tandoori roti or with plain roti. And it also goes best with basmati rice, jeera rice, or biryani rice. And you can also add sliced onion and lemon on the plate. If you like the taste of lemon, you can add a few drops of lemon juice on the paneer butter masala.
By following this recipe, you will get creamy, tangy, lightly sweet paneer butter masala.